Electrical connecter and fixture support



June 4, 1935. H. DOLIER, JR

ELECTRICAL CONNECTER AND FIXTURE SUPPORT Filed May 5, 1927 FIQLIINVENTOR fle/m 7 D OL/ERJR,

Patented June 4, 1935 PATENT OFFICE ELECTRICAL CONNECTER AND FIXTURESUPPORT Henry DOlier, Jr

., Bridgeport, Conn.

Application May 5, 1927, Serial No. 189,058

6 Claims.

This invention relates to electrical sockets, and more particularly tolamp-sockets, this expression being used however as a broad designationfor sockets adapted to receive lamps and many other articles of thevarious types for which such sockets are used in electrical circuits.

My present application is a continuation in part of my applicationSerial No. 75,165, filed Dec. 14, 1925, issued as Patent No. 1,656,411on Apr. 1'7, 1928, certain improvements also being disclosed andclaimed.

There is a present tendency to increase the size of individualincandescent electrical lamps, with an attendant increase in weight ofthe lighting unit, comprising the lamp, its shade and fittings, so thata heavy suspended unit of this character can no longer depend withsafety for its support on the ordinary insulated conductors which havesuiliced for the lighter units.

These larger units also require greater care, and could be more readilycleaned and otherwise handled were they readily detachable, with theirsockets, from their supports, and also from the electrical conductorsassociated therewith.

Existing lamp sockets of the conventional type are not constructedhowever to permit ready detachment from their mechanical and electricalconnections, and an important object of the present invention is toprovide a lamp socket corresponding closely in general appearance andstructure with the conventional socket, but adapted for readydisconnection, with the lamp and its shade and other fittingsconstituting a lighting unit, from the electrical conductors and fromthe suspending means.

In pursuance of this object, and other important objects of theinvention, which are duly illustrated and described herein, I havedevised a novel socket having preferably a threaded receptacle ofsubstantially the usual form to receive a lamp or similar article to bescrewed therein, and having the usual, or suitable, electrical contactterminals to co-operate with those on the base of a lamp orcorresponding article, my im- 7 proved socket being provided also withauxiliary electrical contact terminals adapted to co-operate withappropriate contact terminals on a conheater-member connected with theelectrical conductors from which the socket derives its supply ofcurrent.

A further object of the invention is to provide the improved socket withsuch a removable connecter member, these two parts constituting aunitary structure which can be sold to the user as a complete article ofmanufacture, and can be installed without special tools, involving norisk in the installation, as the connecter-member can be removed fromthe socket and connected to the supply conductors first, and is thenready to have the socket terminals plugged in, in the usual manner.

Among other objects of the invention are the provision of suchco-operating socket member with a metal jacket of substantially thestandard type, or any suitable form so that the completed structurepresents the well-known appearance of existing sockets, and may be usedas such, with the additional advantages of operation characteristic ofmy improved structure.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a socket with meansfor effecting the mechanical support so disposed that an electricalreceptacle member of conventional type may be associated therewith,readily removable, and having the advantage of a centrally positionedaperture for the electrical conductors so that no special receptacleneed be supplied to complete the installation.

The various features of the invention are illustrated and described inthe accompanying drawing and specification and are pointed out in theclaims.

Inthe drawing,

Fig. 1 isa view of the socket showing a conventional electricalreceptacle member in section ready 1 or emplacement, the assembledposition being indicated in dot and dash lines. This view was originallyFig. 7 and is shown in divisional application Serial No. 396,214, Patent1,914,993, June 20, 1933; Only numbers 10 to 14 and 19 to 24 are used inthis application.

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of a standard metal keyless socketcasing with a socket and receptacle enclosedtherein, the cap being ofspecial construction, provided with a suspending hook.

In the illustrated embodiment, Fig. 1 illustrates a lamp-socket and asocket member I into which the usual electric lamp may be screwed,,thisportion of the socket being indicated at H in dotted lines. This socketmember is preferably made of insulating material and provided with theusual or suitable, electrical contact terminals l2 and 13, the formerbeing electricallyconnected with the metal socket portion ll, while theterminal I3 is connected electrically with the central lamp engagingportion I 4.

In pursuance of the invention, I provide for connecting the parts abovementioned with means for effecting both a mechanical connection and anelectrical connection of a readily separable character, and as the nowpreferred form of device for this purpose, I have illustrated at IS anelectrical receptacle, which may be and preferably is of conventionalconstruction, in order to reduce the cost of the lighting fixture as awhole, and to cause the same to conform as far as possible to standardpractice. In the form of receptacle illustrated, the member I9 carriesat 20 and 2| respectively electrical contact terminals adapted toco-operate with the contact terminals l2 and I3 respectively, in theusual fashion, the terminals 20 and 2| being enclosed by a part 22secured to.

the receptacle I9 in well-known fashion, as by screws, not illustrated,and having recesses or apertures 23 to receive the contact terminals I2and I3 when the socket member and receptacle member are assembled. Asusual with receptacles of this character, a central aperture 24 isprovided through which the electrical conductors may be led andconnected with the contact terminals 20 and 2|. This connection may bepermanent, as it is contemplated to provide for connection anddisconnection without disconnecting the electrical conductors from thereceptacle member I 9.

As noted at the beginning of the specification, my present applicationincludes a form of invention which has been divided from my co-pendingapplication Serial No. 75,165 now Patent 1,666,411, and the particularform of the invention so divided from the aforesaid application isillustrated in Fig. 2. In this embodiment the mechanical support isafforded by a hook 56 combined with a metal cap 5! which is coupled to astandard metal lamp socket shell 58 by means of a ring 59 screwed at 60upon the shell and having a flanged connec tion at El with the cap 51.The shell 58 and cap 5'! enclose and support a connecter comprising asocket portion 62 which is of the same general type as that shown anddescribed at It] in other figure of the present application, and the capportion 51 encloses a co-operating receptacle member designated by thereference characters 63, indicated by dotted lines, and not requiringspecial description, as it corresponds with the member l9 heretoforedescribed. The hook 56 is provided with acentral aperture indicated indotted lines at 64, which registers with the usual opening in thereceptacle, these openings permitting the electrical conductors to passinto the interior of the unitary connecter-socket structure thus formed.

When the coupling ring 59 is unscrewed, the connecter members 51 and 58can be separated, the receptacle 63 taken out, for connectionordisconnection of the conductors, the latter having been passed throughthe opening 64, and then the connecter members can be plugged together,the cap 51 fastened in placeby a coupling ring 59, and the device isready to be hooked on to a chain, or to some other suitable support, andthe socket is also ready to receive a lamp or other article, and itsfittings, such as a shade-holder and reflector of suitable character.

I claim:

1. A connecter-socket comprising in a unitary structure aconnecter-member with means which can be connected permanently toelectrical conductors; and a socket member provided with means forplugging into said connecter member,

said connecter-socket being further characterized by a cap and shellsurrounding the connecter members with means for directly andmechanically supporting said unitary connecter-socket structure.

2. A connecter-socket comprising in a unitary structure aconnecter-member with means which can be connected permanently toelectrical conductors; and a socket member provided with means forplugging into said connecter member, said connecter-socket being furthercharacterized by a cap and shell surrounding the connecter members withmeans for directly and mechanically supporting said unitaryconnecter-socket structure and means on the shell for the support of alighting unit.

3. An electrical connecter-socket comprising a socket-and-plug memberand a receptacle member, said members respectively having bodyportionsformed of insulating material and being provided with electricalcontacts so that when placed in operating relation the contacts of saidreceptacle member connects with the contacts of said socket and plugmember and in combination therewith a metal socket shell formed in aplurality of parts threaded for ready assembly and one of said partsbeing removable with said receptacle member, said removable part beingprovided with a hanger.

4. An electrical connecter-socket comprising a socket-and-plug memberand a receptacle member, said members respectively having body-portionsformed of insulating material with electrical contact terminals mountedthereon, and in combination therewith a metal socket shell formed in aplurality of parts threaded for ready assembly and one of said partsbeing removable with said receptacle member, said removable part beingprovided with a hook.

5. An electrical connecter-socket comprising a socket-andplug member anda receptacle'member, 'said members respectively having contact terminalsmounted thereon, and. in combination therewith a multi-part metal shellenclosing said members and connecting them mechanically, said shellparts being joined together by a ring rotatable relative to one of theparts and engaging with another, with means on one of the shell partsfor mechanically supporting the connecter socket.

6. An electrical connecter and socket comprising a connecter body ofinsulating material with openings for sliding contacts at one end andwith contacts permanently connected to conductors at the other end; thesocket with projecting contact blades from the base of the socket, saidblades to pass into the openings of the connecter body to slide on thecontacts, said connecter and socket, when assembled, being held securelyassembled. by a plurality of shells, one shell supporting the socket andanother shell provided with a projecting flange, said flange supportinga threaded collar which threads on to a thread of the first-mentionedshell holding the connecter and socket securely in unit assembly withmeans on the shell for directly and mechanically supporting the socket.

HENRY DOLIER, JR.

